Instructors can copy content from one course to another in order to reuse course activities, resources or question banks:
- Fall 2020 or newer: Copy content yourself OR request LITS copy a course for you.
- Fall 2017-summer 2020: Request LITS copy a course for you, using backup (.mbz) files we have archived outside of Moodle. (LITS does not have courses older than fall 2017.)
You can also restore content from a Moodle course backup (.mbz) file into a new course, and this is the only way to copy content from another college's Moodle site into Bryn Mawr Moodle. Please contact us if you need help!
Before you begin, you may need:
- An Instructor of record or Other editing teacher role in a Bryn Mawr Moodle courses to copy or restore content yourself
Request LITS copy a course
You will need the COURSE SUBJECT and NUMBER (ANTH B101, etc.) and TERM (Spring 2022, etc.) for the SOURCE (course to copy FROM) and DESTINATION (course to copy TO) courses. If either course has a multiple sections, be sure to note WHICH section(s) should be copied to or from.
- Go to our Moodle: Copy Old Course into New Shell service page.
- Click the Request course copy and log in using your college credentials if prompted.
- Fill out the form and click Submit.
A member of the Educational and Scholarly Technology team will contact when the copy is complete or if we have questions.
Copy course content yourself
There are several different ways to copy course content.
IMPORTANT: If you are copying Panopto videos linked to or embedded in a course page, you must ALSO copy the recordings themselves in Panopto to give students in the new course permission to view them. See Panopto: Copy recordings to a new course.
Course Reuse > Import
Use this option when you want to copy all or most of the content from one course to another, or preserve the course layout and formatting.
- Open the destination course (that is, the course you are copying TO).
- Click More in the top course menu and select Course Reuse.
- Under Find a course to import from, search for your source course (that, is the course you are copying from), select it, and click Continue.

Note: If a course isn't showing up, double-check that you have typed the name correctly in the search box and that you have an Instructor of record or Other editing teacher role in the course.
- On the Import settings page, uncheck any category of materials you don't want to copy from the source course
- Click one of the following:
- Next to choose which items within categories to copy on the Schema Settings page before clicking Perform import,
- Jump to final step to go straight to Perform import.
- Once the import has finished, click Continue to return to your course.
Sharing Cart
Use this method when only need to copy a few resources or activities from one course to another.
Add the Sharing Cart block to BOTH Courses
On each Moodle course page:
- Toggle Edit mode on.
- Click the Open block drawer button to open the block drawer sidebar.

- Click + Add a block.
- Select Sharing cart from the list in the pop-up window.
The Sharing Cart block should now appear on your course site in the block drawer sidebar.

Copy items using the Sharing Cart
- Open your source course (the course you are copying FROM) and toggle Edit mode on.
- Click (Copy to sharing cart) next to sections, activities, and resources to add them to the Sharing cart block.
- Open your destination course (the course you are copying TO).
- Click (Copy) next to an item in the Sharing cart block.
- Click a (Copy here) box to place that item in a spot on your course page. (You can click-and-drag the item to adjust the location afterward if needed.
- Repeat for the remaining items you want to add from the Sharing cart.
Restore from a backup file
Use this method if you need to copy content from a Moodle course backup (.mbz) file into a Moodle course.
- Open the destination course (that is, the course you are copying TO).
- Toggle Edit mode on.
- Click on the More menu > Course Reuse.
- Change Import to Restore in the drop-down menu.

- If needed, use the Import a backup file section to upload an .mbz file from your computer or a network or online drive (click Upload a File, browse for and choose your file, then click Upload this file).
- Click Restore next to the course you wish to restore.
- Check the course summary on the Confirm page and click Continue.
- Scroll down to Restore into this course, choose an option, and click Continue:
- Merge the backup course into this course to add content in the backup file to existing course content.
- Delete the contents of this course and then restore to replace existing course content with content in the backup file.
- On the Restore Settings page, unselect categories of material you don't want to restore, then click Next.
- On the Schema page, unselect specific activities or resources you don't want to restore, then click Next.
- Review your settings, then click Perform restore.
Videos & Further Reading on Copying Courses
Questions?
If you have any additional questions or problems, don't hesitate to reach out to the Help Desk!
Phone: 610-526-7440 | Library and Help Desk hours
Email: help@brynmawr.edu | Service catalog
Location: Canaday Library 1st floor